Kingdom of Salt and Sirens

by J. A. Armitage

  “Thank you all for coming here today to celebrate Erica’s eighteenth birthday,” my father boomed out, placing his arm over my shoulder. “As you know, the past week has been difficult for us, and especially for Erica, but we’ve prepared something for her that will make up for it. For those of you that don’t know, Erica was involved in an accident with her new ship a couple of days ago. She almost drowned; but as you can see, she is fit and well enough to be here with us today.”

  My father grinned broadly as the hundreds of people broke out into a round of applause. He waited for the noise to die down before he spoke again.

  “Now that Erica is eighteen, she will increase her studies to become a ruler of Trifork, to take over when it is her time. I have every faith that she will do a magnificent job when the time comes. However, the queen and I don’t want her to enter into this alone. I was blessed to enter into kinghood with the queen already by my side. Now, I don’t expect to be dropping off this mortal coil any day soon, but I’m not getting any younger, and as a nation, we need to be prepared for any eventuality. Erica needs to be prepared to take up my mantle when she succeeds to the throne.”

  I noticed my mother pushing Hayden forward.

  “It is with this in mind, that I’d like to announce the engagement of our daughter, the princess, Erica, to Sir Hayden Harrington-Blythe.”

  I looked over to Hayden. The shock in his eyes mirrored my own.

  6

  No going back

  I could barely hear myself think over the rapturous applause. In front of me, all I could see were the happy faces of our guests, excited to be a witness to the royal announcement. At the back of the room, I saw a flash of yellow disappearing out of the main doors as Astrid took off.

  “Excuse me,” I mumbled, jumping down from the platform and cutting through the crowd. Behind me, I heard my father shouting my name, but I ignored it. I’d be in trouble later, but right now, I didn’t care. The doors at the back of the great hall led to an entrance hall and to the large double-sized doors that were the main doors to the palace. One was open. I ran towards it and looked out. Astrid was running down the long driveway to the main gates, her yellow dress flapping about behind her as she ran.

  Kicking my shoes off, I pelted down the stairs onto the drive towards her. Beneath my feet, small stones that made up the driveway cut into my soft flesh, but I didn’t slow down. Astrid was slightly taller than me and had longer legs, but she was also wearing five-inch heels. I caught up with her about a hundred feet from the main gates. Outside, hundreds of people had turned up to get a glimpse of royalty. There were always people outside with cameras, but because of my birthday and the fact that many of my guests were famous, there were more people outside than usual, desperate to see us.

  Astrid glared at me as hundreds of flashes lit up the night thanks to all the people’s cameras. I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the gardens. The last thing either of us needed was to become front-page news on top of everything else. She pulled against me, full of anger; but I gripped harder, pulling her across the perfectly manicured lawn between the flower beds. I needed to get her to the grotto, a small opening cut roughly into stone that my great-grandfather had put there in case my great-grandmother got caught in the rain.

  The grotto was nothing more than an opening like a man-made cave hewn into rock that backed onto the tall red-bricked walls that surrounded the palace grounds. Inside, a bench took up most of the space. It pointed outwards and in the daytime gave a great view of the gardens. To the side of the bench was a hollow dip, which was full of water. At one side, a pump brought water in, and to the other, a little decorative waterfall fell into a grate in the floor. I used to throw pennies in there as a child and make a wish as one would do to a wishing well. My wish was always the same—to be allowed to go out to sea. Tonight, my only wish was for this all to be a nightmare to wake up from. Once we were there, away from prying eyes, I pulled Astrid to face me.

  “How could you,” she spat. I’d never once seen her angry. She was always so sweet. Mind you, she certainly had every right to be.

  “It’s not happening,” I said, trying to calm her down. We were quite far away from the crowds out front, but it was possible that anyone behind the large garden wall could hear us if we talked too loudly. “I don’t know what my parents are thinking, but there is no way Hayden and I are getting engaged. It’s ludicrous.”

  “I always knew that there was something between the two of you. Everyone warned me, but Hayden kept telling me you were just friends. I’m such an idiot.”

  She broke down in tears, falling to the bench behind us. Her whole body heaved with wracking sobs. They’d only been dating for a few months. I knew they liked each other, but I hadn’t known just how serious it was.

  I sat down next to her and placed my arm around her shoulder, expecting her to shrug me off. She didn’t. Maybe she didn’t even notice it was there.

  “Hayden wasn’t lying to you,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I can promise you that neither of us knew it was coming. This isn’t something we’ve been hiding behind your back. I have no idea what our parents are playing at, but they kept this a secret from us too. Hayden and I are just friends. You didn’t see the shock on his face as my father announced our... the engagement.”

  She flinched as I said the word engagement, but at least, she was looking at me now.

  “You didn’t see the shock in mine either. You were too busy running for the door, but I can promise you now, neither of us knew what my father was going to say.”

  Tears shimmered in her eyes, reflecting the low moonlight and lights of the palace. “You really didn’t know?”

  “How long have we known each other?” I asked her. “Ten years?”

  “Thirteen. We met in kindergarten,” she sniffed.

  “Thirteen years,” I conceded. “We’ve been friends for a long time. Not once in all that time have I lied to you. I promise that there is nothing, nor has there ever been anything between Hayden and I. I’m not interested in him that way, and I can tell you now that since the pair of you have been dating, he’s done nothing but gush about you. He really likes you.”

  She raised her eyes at me expectantly. “He does?”

  “He really does, and as soon as this ridiculous birthday party is over, I’m going to tell my parents that I have no intention of marrying Hayden. I really don’t know what they were thinking. My mother kept hinting that we’d make a good couple, but I never expected her to do something like this. She’s wrong too. Hayden and I would make a lousy couple. I know him too well. He used the word groovy earlier.” I shuddered at the thought of it, making Astrid laugh.

  She gave me a small smile. “I’m sorry I was so angry with you. I thought...”

  “I know, don’t worry about it. I’d have been angry in your position too. Do you want to come back up to the house with me and we’ll both drink too much champagne and behave in a very unladylike manner?”

  She didn’t have time to answer because just then, a number of guards with flashlights made their way across the garden. The beam of one caught us.

  “His Majesty requests your presence inside,” announced one of the guards.

  I stood and helped Astrid to her feet.

  “Not her,” instructed the guard. “I’ve been ordered to escort her home.”

  I was just about to give him a piece of my mind when I saw my father dashing over to us. His face was as dark as thunder.

  “You’d better go home,” I whispered glumly to Astrid. “I’ll sort all of this out and speak to you later.”

  She nodded and left with the guard. My father grabbed me roughly by the arm, making me cry out in pain.

  “What are you doing?” I yelled, trying to pull away from him.

  “Don’t talk to me,” he hissed. Back in the palace, he finally let me go in one of the small rooms away from the entrance hall.

  “You embarrassed me out there,” he yelled. “How dare you
just walk out like that? You’ve made us a laughing stock!”

  My father rarely got angry, and it was scary to see him like this. I wasn’t about to back down though. What they had done was ludicrous.

  I opened my mouth to retaliate when my mother walked in. I turned to her for help, but she walked over to my father’s side.

  “What were you thinking, Erica?” she asked. I could see the disappointment in her eyes.

  Were they kidding? What right did they have to be angry and disappointed in me after what they’d done?

  I pulled myself up to my full height, placing my hands on my hips. “I left because you’d announced I was going to be married,” I yelled. “You want to know what I was thinking? I was thinking how insane it was that my parents told an entire room full of people that I was to be married without even consulting me first.”

  My voice had become shrill, and I didn’t even care. I didn’t wait for a response; I left the room, slamming the door behind me and ran up the back stairs to my bedroom where I slammed that door too for good measure.

  I don’t think I’d ever been so angry in my life. I picked up a pillow and threw it across the room. It missed the wall and went right through my French windows that led out onto my balcony.

  Seconds later, my mother entered the room. That was the worst thing about being a princess. Privacy wasn’t a luxury I was afforded, and because of that, there was no lock on the door.

  “I’m sorry we’ve upset you,” she began, taking a seat on my bed. She patted the bed beside her, inviting me to sit. I stayed where I was beside my dresser. I tried to ignore the photo of Hayden and I that had been taken a couple of years ago and that I‘d tucked into the frame of the mirror.

  “I honestly thought you’d be happy,” she said with no hint of irony.

  “Happy?” I asked incredulously. “You announced I was to be married. Married!” I repeated it figuring it deserved to be.

  My mother clucked. “Yes, I know it’s big, but we’ve joked for years that the pair of you would end up married.”

  I huffed in exasperation. “Joked, yes, exactly! I never disputed it, because that’s all it was, a joke. The punch line is turning out to be not very funny. What does Hayden think of all this anyway?”

  “I don’t exactly know. When you ran out, I was more concerned about you. Your father asked everyone to leave at that point, so he’s probably gone home with his parents.”

  “He’s going to be so angry. He’s dating Astrid. You know that. We had a discussion about it less than an hour ago outside, remember?”

  “Yes,” she conceded, getting up from her place on the bed. She took a step toward me. “I remember, but she’ll get over it. They’ve only been dating for what? A couple of months? Three at most.”

  “That’s not the point, though,” I said backing away from her. If she was coming toward me for a hug, she was going to be sorely disappointed. “Even if he wasn’t dating Astrid, I still wouldn’t want to marry him.”

  She sighed. “He’s a good catch, Erica.”

  “I didn’t catch him, though, did I? He’s been thrust upon me. I’m eighteen years old. There is plenty of time for me to marry. Why does it have to be now, and why does it have to be with Hayden?”

  Not that I had anything against Hayden. I wasn’t ready to marry anyone, certainly not someone I wasn’t in love with. I’d never known falling in love. It was not something I’d remotely felt for Hayden. The closest thing I’d felt to it was outside just half an hour previously when my heart had been hammering so loudly that I was worried people would be able to hear it. The stranger had taken my breath away completely. I didn’t know if it was love. I’d only just met him, but I knew it was a lot closer to it than anything I’d ever felt for Hayden.

  My mother sighed and began again as if her keeping talking would somehow change my mind. “You’ve got a history. You’ve been friends for as long as I can remember. Your father wants you to have someone to help you, to take this journey with you so when you do eventually become queen, you won’t be alone. He trusts Hayden, you like Hayden. The question should be, why shouldn’t it be Hayden? Who better to help you rule Trifork?”

  I thought back to my mysterious stranger. Funnily enough, marriage didn’t seem so ludicrous when he was in my mind. I shrugged the thought off. I didn’t even know the guy’s name, and here I was picturing him as my groom. Up until about an hour ago, I’d not thought about marriage at all. I was only eighteen. There was plenty of time for it. I’d always pictured myself sailing the ocean before settling down.

  “I don’t want to marry Hayden,” I reiterated, sitting down on the bed. “I don’t love him in that way.”

  “I’m sorry. You are right,” my mother conceded. “We shouldn’t have sprung this on you. We wanted it to be a lovely surprise for your birthday. I honestly thought you’d be happy. I know you’ve always had a soft spot for Hayden, and his parents were thrilled when we put the idea to them.

  “They knew you were going to announce this?” I asked, folding my arms.

  “Of course, they did. We could hardly marry their son off without even telling them.”

  My eyes widened at the ridiculousness of what she was saying. “But you were happy to do it without telling him...or me?”

  “I’ve already apologized for that. It was unwise, and I’m deeply sorry for upsetting you. We shouldn’t have announced your engagement without asking you first. Can we chalk it up to one big silly mistake and forget it ever happened?”

  I heaved a sigh of relief. “Of course. Thank you.”

  “Good,” She replied, jumping up from the bed. “I’m glad we are friends again. It’s getting late. You should probably get some sleep. It’s been a long night.”

  The last few days had been a maelstrom of things for me to deal with, and I was exhausted. The painkillers I’d taken earlier had worn off, and both my side and my head were beginning to hurt again. I pulled off the dress and got into my pajamas before dropping onto the bed.

  I stifled a yawn as I watched my mother retrieve my ball gown from the floor. “What will you tell the guests? About the engagement being off I mean?”

  She shook her head quickly. “When I said it was a silly mistake, I meant the announcement. The engagement is still going ahead. I’ve just had my secretary book the catering. You’ll be marrying Hayden in three months’ time.”

  7

  Dragged in

  If being engaged wasn’t bad enough, the media excitement that followed was a complete nightmare. I’d hoped that once I turned eighteen, I’d have more freedom, but now that my engagement had been announced, it was impossible to leave the palace through the front gates. Hundreds of photographers camped out there every day and night. The only way to go outside without being spotted was either to go onto the private balcony from my bedroom or to go to the private area out back that led down to the sea. We owned about two hundred meters of shoreline which was fenced off at both ends. To the left of our property line were the docks and then the public beach. To the right, was moorland that ended in sheer cliffs that fell away to the sea. The back of the palace was the only place I was allowed to go by myself and the only place I got some peace and quiet.

  I’d spent the best part of a week trying to persuade my parents to change their minds about the wedding, but it seemed the more I pleaded, the more resolute they became. Over a thousand invitations had been sent out, the catering had been booked, and the media had been told the official date. I’d been asked to give a short interview with a reporter but had absolutely refused, so my parents had done it instead. I hadn’t seen it on the TV, but I could imagine what they said.

  As I stepped out to the walkway, one of the guards came forward to follow me as they always did. Shooting him a sharp look, I walked right past him.

  “I’m eighteen now. I don’t need to be watched anymore. I’m not a child.”

  He looked at me uncertainly but backed off. I had a plan, and the last thing I neede
d was to be watched. I’d dressed in sensible footwear. Heels would be no use for what I was planning. I headed down to the paved promenade and pretended to take a stroll, walking slowly. I had a book with me, not to read but to give the impression I was going to. Once I’d walked far enough so the guard could no longer see me, I dropped it on the low wall that separated the rocks from the promenade and jumped over.

  The rocks were slightly drier than they had been the night of the ball, thanks to the baking sun, but I still had to watch out for bits of seaweed. Out in the distance, I could still see the tuxedo that the stranger had left. It had been there nearly a week, and by some miracle, no one had spotted it, and the tide hadn’t taken it out to sea. Grey rocks surrounded small rock pools filled with sea anemones and crabs. I stepped over each one, being careful not to lose my balance.

  As I got closer to the stranger’s clothes, I saw the reason his suit was still there. He’d wedged it under a particularly heavy rock at the high tide mark. I tried picking the rock up, pulling it, pushing it. I even tried kicking it to no avail. The stranger must have been immensely strong to be able to pick up a rock this size to put his clothes under.

  I sat on the rock and gazed out to sea. It was especially calm with only slight ripples lapping at my feet. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, I pulled my shoes off and dipped my feet in the cool water. On a summer’s day, especially one as hot as it was, the feeling of the salt water on my feet was heavenly.

  Even though the water barely reached my ankles, the terrifying thought that something bad would happen lingered, thanks to years of being told how dangerous the sea was, not to mention my near-death experience only a week before.